Fair judging not an easy job

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but the blue ribbons are in the hands of the judges.

Susan Kaufman

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but the blue ribbons are in the hands of the judges.

The domestic and fine arts building at the Knox County Fairgrounds was buzzing with activity and a few pesky flies Tuesday morning as judges ranked entries in nine categories ranging from quilts and paintings to table place settings and needlepoint.

Kelly Simonsen woke up early Tuesday morning in her Pekin home to make it to Knoxville by 8 a.m. In her third year as a photography judge, Simonsen’s job is to decide the first-, second- and third-place finishers in seven categories.

“I look at many different details when deciding,” Simonsen said. “I look for a clear subject, image quality and depth of field. I also think a photograph should make us stop and think about what is happening in the picture. It should evoke emotion.”

Photography categories included black and white, animals, landscapes, flowers, portraits, grouping and miscellaneous. From the blue ribbon winners in each category, Simonsen selected the Best in Show — the winner in the animal category was Lisa Inness.

The close-up shot of a single bird won Simonsen over. “There is just great depth in the picture. It is the most unique and original.”

Simonsen has been a photographer for seven years — four of them professionally.
Teresa Groeper, Williamsfield, in her fourth year of judging the juniors’ collections, also has experience in her field.

“My mom has done arts and crafts since I was born so I grew up around it. We even had an arts and crafts store.”

Groeper’s category is like comparing apples and oranges.

“It is hard to judge sometimes when there are so many entries — drawings, clothing, crafts. I mostly look for neatness, creativity and color,” she said. “There is just a lot of good stuff so it is hard to choose but it’s fun.”

First year superintendant Sally Nelson estimated she and her husband spent about 140 hours cleaning, organizing volunteers and entries and getting the building ready.

“We started a week or two ago,” said Nelson. “It has gone pretty good but we’ve been tired at night.”

After the judges awarded blue ribbons in their respective categories, they chose the best in building from all the winners.

After some discussion and a three-way tie, it was Simonsen who cast the deciding vote. Ashley Lemon’s colorful painting of a lily was the winner.

For Simonsen, being a fair judge may be difficult at times but it is rewarding. “I just hope people grow and learn from it. It is a fun experience and so far, I haven’t gotten any hate mail for making bad choices.”